The “live”album that didn’t happen!

PublishedJanuary 29, 2018

BBC Radio Scotland last week played a “live” track by Jez, performing a solo version of YANKEE BOOTS, prompting two keen-eared listeners from north of the border to ask if it was taken from the live CD we mentioned here on the news page a few months ago. The answer is no – in fact it was taken from a compilation CD of songs recorded at Edinburgh Folk Club at the Pleasance Bar, and released about four years ago. YANKEE BOOTS was Jez’s only contribution to the CD. This did prompt us to look back at the unreleased live album that was being planned last year, but which was ultimately shelved in favour of “The Dillen Doll” album. The album did have a title (which we probably shouldn’t mention), and the track-listing was as follows – WORKHOUSE / THE MILITARY ROAD / BOWNESS BELLS / THE WALTZER / GULL’S EYE / IF I COULD BUY A BLIGHTY / JEMMY BUTTON / TEAR-DROP TWO STEP / THE GALLOWAY LAD / COAL MOUNTAIN / HALTWHISTLE WOMEN / SNOW TO NOVA SCOTIA / FACEBOOK FRIEND – an eclectic mix, all performed by Jez solo, and recorded at various venues over the last twelve years or so. It’s the sort of thing that might re-emerge at some point in the future, but for the moment it is left to linger on that list of “possibles” along with the re-issue of “Honesty Box” and a fourth volume in the songbooks series. Meanwhile we have “The Dillen Doll” to occupy us. Jez’s next radio-promotion slot is on February 18th, when he appears on The Durbervilles Folk Show on BBC Radio Leeds.